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By:

Rajendra Pandharpure

15 April 2025 at 2:25:54 pm

Pune’s changing political guard

After an eight-year hiatus, the municipal elections promise to usher in a new cohort of politicians and reset the city’s political rhythms Pune:  The long-delayed civic polls herald a generational shift in Pune, arguably Maharashtra’s most politically vibrant city. When voters return to the booths in December, they will be resetting the circuitry of local power. The last municipal elections were held in 2017. Since then, the city’s politics have drifted into a liminal space. The Pune...

Pune’s changing political guard

After an eight-year hiatus, the municipal elections promise to usher in a new cohort of politicians and reset the city’s political rhythms Pune:  The long-delayed civic polls herald a generational shift in Pune, arguably Maharashtra’s most politically vibrant city. When voters return to the booths in December, they will be resetting the circuitry of local power. The last municipal elections were held in 2017. Since then, the city’s politics have drifted into a liminal space. The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) term expired in May 2022, but the state dithered, leaving India’s seventh-largest city without elected urban governance for almost three years. With the prospect of polls repeatedly deferred, many former corporators had since quietly receded from the daily grind of politics, returning to business interests or simply losing relevance. When the long-pending reservation lottery for civic wards was finally conducted recently, it delivered another shock: dozens of established male aspirants discovered that their seats had vanished from under them. New guard All this has created an unusual political vacuum that younger leaders are eager to fill. Parties across the spectrum, from the BJP to the Congress to the NCP factions, are preparing to field fresher faces. Regardless of who wins, Pune seems destined to witness the rise of a new political class. The churn is already visible. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, both the BJP’s Murlidhar Mohol and the Congress’s then-candidate Ravindra Dhangekar were relative newcomers to national politics. The city’s Assembly seats have also produced new faces in recent years, including Hemant Rasne and Sunil Kamble. Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party elevated Subhash Jagtap and Sunil Tingre to leadership roles, giving them a platform to shape the party’s urban strategy. Even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a peripheral entity in Pune’s political landscape, is preparing to contest the civic polls with a wholly new leadership slate. The party most uneasy about this transition may be the Congress. Despite routinely polling between 550,000 and 600,000 votes in the city, it has struggled to convert electoral presence into organisational revival. As the Bihar election results were being announced recently, one Pune resident summed up a sentiment widely shared among Congress sympathisers: the party has votes, but not enough dynamic young leaders to carry them. The question, as he put it, is not whether the youth can help the Congress, but whether the Congress will let them. Rewind to the early 2000s, and Pune’s political landscape looked very different. The Congress then had a formidable bench which included Suresh Kalmadi, Chandrakant Shivarkar, Mohan Joshi, Ramesh Bagwe and Abhay Chhajed. The BJP had Pradeep Rawat, Anil Shirole, Girish Bapat, Vijay Kale, Vishwas Gangurde and Dilip Kamble. Sharad Pawar’s NCP, then ascendant, rested on leaders like Ajit Pawar, Ankush Kakade, Vandana Chavan and Ravi Malvadkar. But the 2014 BJP wave flattened the hierarchy. The Congress crumbled; Kalmadi and Rawat faded from view; Gangurde exited the stage. The BJP replaced its old guard with Medha Kulkarni, and then Mukta Tilak, Chandrakant Patil, Bhimrao Tapkir, Madhuri Misal and Jagdish Mulik. Now, as Pune approaches the end of 2025, even Mohol - the BJP’s rising star - risks appearing ‘senior’ in a political landscape tilting toward younger contenders. Demographics are accelerating the shift. Given that Pune’s last civic polls took place eight years ago, an entire cohort of voters since then has reached adulthood. They cast their first ballots in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections; now they will vote in municipal elections for the first time. Their concerns include urban mobility, climate resilience, digital governance, employment differ sharply from the older generation’s priorities. Their political loyalties, still fluid, are likely to crystallise around leaders who can speak to these new anxieties. The coming election promises a radical change in Pune’s political ecosystem. Long dominated by legacy figures, that ecosystem is set for nothing less than a generational reset. The departure of veteran leaders, the decennial rebalancing of parties, and the impatience of a newly enfranchised urban youth all point towards a younger, more competitive, and possibly more unpredictable political order. Whether this transition will deliver better governance remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the next generation seems determined not to wait another eight years to make itself heard.

The Quiet Echoes of a Gentleman: The Future of Ajinkya Rahane

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There comes a point in every sporting career when statistics stop defining a player, and character begins to speak louder. For Ajinkya Rahane, that moment may already be here. The elegant middle-order batsman, who once stood as the very embodiment of composure and grace under pressure, now finds himself staring into the twilight of his illustrious career. The question is no longer whether Rahane can make another comeback, but whether he should. And even more profoundly—what does the future hold for a player who has given more than numbers can measure?


Rahane’s story is one of contrasts. In an era dominated by aggression and flamboyance, he has been the quiet craftsman crafting moments of calm. While the modern cricket narrative favors loud charisma and explosive batting, Rahane remains the last echo of a purer age—of technical discipline, humility, and an unwavering focus on team before self. Perhaps that is both his greatest strength and his greatest burden. He never demanded attention; he earned respect.


When Rahane led India to that historic Test series win in Australia in 2021, after Virat Kohli’s departure, it wasn’t merely a leadership masterclass—it was an emotional statement. He led through empathy. There were no grand speeches, no fiery expressions; only quiet assurance that performance would speak. Those four Tests sealed his place in Indian cricket folklore forever. Yet, the years since have told a different story—form dipping, opportunities shrinking, and younger talents rising fast through the ranks. In the eyes of selectors, sentiment often struggles to match the ruthless logic of numbers.


But evaluating Rahane purely by statistics feels unjust. A player like him cannot be measured in averages or strike rates alone. His contribution lies in something less tangible, yet more enduring—his ability to hold the fort, to bat for time, to bring calm when chaos reigns. In a sport where emotional temperament often dictates success, Rahane’s serenity has long been a steadying force. His quiet resilience, even amid personal uncertainty, provides a masterclass in emotional intelligence.


So, what lies ahead for him?

If one looks at his current trajectory, Rahane’s international future appears uncertain. His role in Test cricket has diminished, with newer names like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad stepping forward. For an athlete of Rahane’s pedigree, the reality of being on the periphery must be a heavy emotional load to carry. Yet, there is grace even in transition. The key is acceptance—not as resignation, but as evolution. Cricket, after all, has never been kind to time; but time, handled with dignity, can still reward those who yield to its rhythm.


As domestic cricket and franchise leagues become the new canvas for senior pros, Rahane could find his next chapter there. Rather than chasing comebacks, he could redefine contribution—not through runs but through mentorship. Young cricketers need emotional role models as much as technical ones. In Rahane, they can learn the priceless art of timing—not just in batting, but in life itself. His demeanor, his respect for the game, and his mental poise could inspire a generation that sometimes confuses aggression with confidence.


The conversation around Rahane’s future should not be framed as a lament for what was lost but as a celebration of what still can be gained. If he moves into a mentorship or coaching role in the next few years, Indian cricket would gain an educator of empathy—a man who knows that leadership is not about being loud, but about listening. Players like Rahane remind us that the spirit of sport is not competition alone, but continuity. His intellect, humility, and soft-spoken steel can shape future Indian teams in ways no stat sheet ever could.


Some cricketers are remembered for their centuries; others for their courage. Rahane will be remembered for his humanity. His batting—precise, thoughtful, often selfless—has mirrored his approach to life. He could have chased individual milestones but chose moments that lifted the team instead. That, perhaps, is his legacy: not flamboyant, not dramatic, but enduringly human. His journey, even if nearing its final innings on the pitch, still holds immeasurable worth off it.


In time, fans may forget his exact numbers, but they will remember the essence of his calm—in Melbourne, in Lord’s, in countless pressure moments where courage wore silence. And when he finally decides to hang up his boots, Ajinkya Rahane will walk away not as someone who faded out, but as someone who knew exactly when to let go—a man who understood that just as in batting, timing is everything, even in life.


The future of Ajinkya Rahane is not confined to scorecards or selections anymore. It rests in the quiet power of his example, the timeless inspiration of his character, and the enduring truth that grace, no matter the era, never goes out of style.


(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

 

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